Class.

As many of you know, Caleb Kibble was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident yesterday and is in the hospital having surgeries - this blog is not about his accident, but about something it has made me see and feel.

As most of my graduating class is aware, I am involved with planning our 10-year reunion, which is happening this July.  I have kept in touch with lots of classmates and am always impressed that our graduating class has produced the people I know and see around me (figuratively speaking).  There are plenty of people who wouldn't miss a reunion, because they know it's their only chance in 10 years to see people they grew up with, and that's a valuable thing.

Then there are others who keep debating - they can't decide if they should attend a reunion for a list of reasons - they aren't sure they will have anything in common with people (you already do, you graduated together), they are afraid they haven't accomplished much (don't be silly), or they simply don't feel close to many high school friends any more.

But you know, the minute something bad happens to one of our classmates, the outpouring of concern and love is really amazing.  I am not always the most vocal with my concern for others, simply because I know they are probably inundated with calls, e-mails, texts, chats, and generally more communication than they can deal with.  So I sit back and watch our classmates who may say they're not sure they feel close to people from high school express real concern for someone they are tied to by the simple fact that we spent several formative years of our lives together.  There have been times things have happened to me or others I know, and the expression of caring and concern from people we barely knew in high school was really comforting and sweet.  It's a beautiful thing.

I think my class has class, know what I am saying?

So even though you may not keep in touch with many high school friends, or you may not be sure you have things in common with many of them, or even if you just feel strange attending a reunion because it's been ten years, remember that if something should happen to you, there's a large group of people who WILL care about what's happening to you, simply because we come from the same place.  We may not all be texting each other and hanging out during the holidays, and you may not even realize you care about a classmate.  But let tragedy come to their family, and you realize you definitely care.  

That's a great thing, and worth my once-every-ten-years effort to see you all.  I hope you feel the same.  Yes, I am helping plan the event, and yes, I want people to come in general.  But Caleb's accident and the response to it has reminded me of why it really is worth it to both plan and attend this event in our hometown.


On a side note (and another example of why our class has class), when we polled everyone regarding the reunion and asked how we should spend extra ticket funds raised, a huge majority voted to give the extra funds to a non-profit or group in need in our hometown, instead of to buy extra food for the reunion.  Good choice, ladies and gents.  When Caleb pulls through this (and he will!), I am hoping to speak to him and Sarah and possibly get their help choosing a group to receive any extra funds.  Or we may take classmate suggestions on who/what to donate to, and let everyone vote, yes?


Do any of you know of classmates or classmates' children who have passed away since we graduated?  I know Alesa's baby (Miller), but that is all.  If you can think of other folks who would have been with us at a 10-year reunion but will not be, I'd love to know about them so we can honor them.